Under Water
by kensi54382
Summary: Tony saves people during flash floods in DC. What happens to him?
1. Chapter 1

Tony looked on in horror as the two cars in front of him seemed to sink from view right before his eyes. He had known the state was experiencing some flash floods, but the roads in DC had been built and designed with flash flooding in mind- they were supposed to be high enough to avoid anything major. Yet, here he was, watching people possibly drowning because they had thought they were safe driving around the city.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs' voice shouted through the phone. "Are you listening to me?"

"Uh... Sorry, boss. The floods are getting worse out here. Two cars just disappeared beneath water in front of me," answered Tony as he contemplated getting out to try and help the occupants of those cars.

"DiNozzo, don't think about it," said Gibbs, concern lacing his voice. "You could kill yourself doing it."

"Just get me some help, boss. I have to help, I can't just sit here." Tony got out of his car, leaving the phone inside. Quickly, he stripped off his jacket, tie and shirt, throwing them into the car, and ran towards the spot where the cars had hit the water.

Taking a moment to breathe, Tony slowly put his runner into the water, testing the depth. Finding that the water was barely a puddle in that spot, Tony carefully walked forward. The water deepened as Tony continued forward. He could feel it creeping up on his legs and freezing him, but Tony kept walking until the water was at his waist and he could see the lights of the car directly in front of him. Tony took a deep breath and dived into the water, swimming to the first door he could find. He peered into the back seat and found two terrified children staring back at him. Unsure of what to do for the adults in the car, Tony banged his hands on the window until it cracked and he could push it into the car. Wordlessly, Tony reached into the window, grabbed the first child and pulled him through the window. Keeping one hand on the boy, Tony reached back in, ignoring the stinging feeling coming from his arm, and grabbed the hand of a teenage girl. He pulled her out as fast as he could and then kicked himself back to the surface of the water, pulling both children with him.

"Sir! What's going on over there?" Tony heard a man yelling.

"The cars are stuck at the bottom of a hill," panted Tony. "The parents are still in the first car. I'm going back."

Tony passed the children to the man and swam back, not listening to the man's protests. He knew he could save the two adults if he went now. Tony reached the car again, finding that the front seat was now empty. The driver was pushing herself through the window Tony had broken, and Tony immediately grabbed hr arms to pull her free. He pointed above him, indicating the surface of the water, then reached back to pull the male passenger free. He guided the man back to the surface of the water, took a deep breath, then swam back under, looking for the second car.

After a minute, Tony spotted the second car just ahead of him. He was running out of air, though, and as much as he wanted to help, Tony knew that he needed to head back to the surface. Reluctantly, Tony swam to the surface again, taking several deep gulps of air into his aching lungs. After a minute of rest, Tony ducked back down and swam as fast as possible to the car. Gratefully, Tony found that there was only one person in the car, and he immediately broke the windshield to free the driver. Helping the driver get free, Tony let his eyes close for a second, opening them to find that everything was dark.

* * *

"What happened?" Gibbs demanded as he raced towards the ambulances parked behind Tony's car. "Where's DiNozzo?"

"Are you Agent Gibbs?" a paramedic asked as Gibbs looked into the first ambulance.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I found this in Agent DiNozzo's jacket pocket, I've contacted Bethesda already, but the card said you are his emergency contact."

"What happened to him?"

"Witnesses said that Agent DiNozzo rescued five people on his own. His lungs aren't coping too well at the moment."

"I'm going with him. Tell the hospital to have Dr Pitt..."

"Already done. I was about to head off when I heard you looking for your agent." The paramedic finished attaching an IV to Tony's hand. "Sit down."

* * *

"Gibbs," said Brad as he entered Tony's room. "I told you to stay in the waiting room until I came to get you."

"I needed to see Tony."

"No, you wanted to ignore my instructions. I know he's your agent, but Tony is now my patient, and you need to let me do my job. You can't ignore what I tell you."

"I have to know how Tony is."

"You would have known if you had just waited for me. I was coming to tell you about Tony's condition."

"You can tell me now."

"Not until you promise me that you will listen. I'll kick you out if I have too, Gibbs."

"I'll listen."

Brad stared at Gibbs for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Follow me," he said as he left Tony's room.


	2. Chapter 2

"Tell me what's happening," said Gibbs once he and Brad were standing outside the closed door of Tony's room.

"Tony's lungs have stopped breathing on their own," said Brad. There was no point in sugar coating the truth. "Not completely, but enough for Tony to not be able to breathe sufficiently on his own. He's on a ventilator, and will most likely stay that way until his lungs have had the chance to recover."

"How can he be so stupid?!" Gibbs exclaimed in annoyance.

"Stupid? Gibbs, that man in there," said Brad angrily, pointing towards Tony's motionless figure, "just saved the lives of five people, two of which were children! That is not stupid! Not even the slightest bit. That was heroic!"

"He could have killed himself."

"Yeah, he could have. But he could kill himself just by going to work. Would you stop him from doing his job? No. You can't tell him not to help people if he knows he can help. Tony did what you would have done, what I would have done. You don't get the right to be upset with him, Agent Gibbs. And, I suggest that either you calm down right now, or you leave the hospital. I won't allow you back in that room until I'm sure you aren't going to hurt Tony."

"Dr Pitt?" asked a nurse timidly, breaking through the staring contest that had cropped up.

"Yes, Nurse Jones?" asked Brad, giving the young woman a smile.

"I just got a call from the ER. A woman is asking to see Agent DiNozzo. They said her name is Abby."

"Tell them to send her up. She can stay with Tony for a while."

"Okay." Nurse Jones walked away, and Brad turned back to Gibbs.

"What are you going to do, Agent Gibbs?" Brad asked, his voice back to being cool.

"I want to see Tony."

"No can do. You can sit in the waiting room until I let you in."

"You're letting Abby in."

"Abby won't hurt Tony. She cares about him, and I guarantee you that she'll treat him like a hero."

"You're being ridiculous."

"Am I? I was serious about kicking you out of here. Want to try me?"

Gibbs scowled and walked away. He knew he had done the wrong thing earlier by not listening to Brad, but he wasn't going to admit it.

Sighing, Brad walked into Tony's room, giving Abby a smile as he began checking Tony to make sure that he hadn't been upset by Gibbs.

"What happened with Gibbs?" Abby asked once Brad was finished.

"He didn't listen to me," answered Brad.

"You told him to stay in the waiting room, didn't you?"

"Of course I did. I wasn't finished with Tony yet."

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

"I think I got through to him. He doesn't want to be kicked out of the hospital, after all."

"Does he know that Tony is a hero?" Abby asked after a moment.

"He thinks Tony was stupid for going into that water. Personally, I think he's a little jealous that he's not the one being hailed as a hero right now. Tony did something completely selfless- he saved children from drowning. I doubt that he cared what would happen to him."

Abby smiled. "That's Tony for you. He always puts others first. You know, the director was talking about awarding Tony a medal for bravery. Probably just a normal one, not a military one, but a medal nonetheless."

"I think that's pretty nice."

"Yeah, me too. Tony deserves to be recognised for what he's done to help all the people he's helped since starting at NCIS."

* * *

"Boss?" asked McGee when he entered the waiting room almost three hours later. "Why are you out here and not with Tony?"

"Waiting on the doctor," said Gibbs, purposely avoiding mentioning what he had done to be banished to the waiting room.

"Is Tony conscious yet? Abby said that he was still out when she left."

"I don't think so. Nobody's told me anything."

McGee sighed and took a seat. Abby had mentioned that nobody was allowed to see Tony without the doctor's permission until he was awake, but McGee really had thought that that meant people other than Gibbs. His boss had always been allowed to stay with Tony in the past; he didn't see why that should change suddenly.

"Am I wrong to think that DiNozzo doesn't deserve to be called a hero, Tim?" Gibbs asked, finally breaking the silence that had settled over the room.

"Pardon?" McGee asked, thinking he had heard wrong.

"I think that was DiNozzo did was brave, of course, but he could have killed himself. Everyone thinks he's a hero- I don't agree with them."

"Tony is a hero, boss. He didn't just save people- he saved two terrified children, one of which doesn't know how to swim. Nobody wanted to jump into that water, but Tony disregarded his own health and wellbeing to rescue those five people. He's the very definition of a hero. I thought you would understand how those people are feeling right now, what with Tony saving you and Maddie a few years ago."

Gibbs looked up, scowling at the heart-wrenching memory and scaring McGee.

"Uh... sorry boss, but you did ask..."

Gibbs sighed. "I know. You're right, I do remember how it felt to know I almost drowned. I remember how grateful I was to have been saved."

"So, does that mean you understand why Tony did what he did, and why he's being called a hero?"

"Of course."

"You need to treat him like the hero that he is, then, Gibbs," said Vance as he joined the two agents in the waiting room. "I've just seen Agent DiNozzo's doctor, by the way, and he says that DiNozzo is awake and giving them trouble."


	3. Chapter 3

**Five Hours Later**

Tony groaned when he opened his eyes, heard the beeping monitor and felt the tube in his throat. He had landed himself in the hospital again. He knew how he had done it, of course- he had saved people from drowning, although he was pretty sure the last person had saved him when he had passed out under water. He was going to be in big trouble when Gibbs arrived, that was for sure.

"You're awake!" squealed Abby when she heard Tony's groan. "How are you feeling? Do you want the doctor?" she asked as she sat down next to the bed, her CafPow forgotten now that her best friend was awake.

"I'm fine, Abbs," said Tony quietly, hoping that she would also lower her voice. "Where's Gibbs?"

"Brad kicked him out to the waiting room," said Abby sadly. "He refused to listen to your doctor."

"That doesn't surprise me. What did he ignore?"

"Brad told him to wait until after he finished checking you, but Gibbs didn't. He came in here when Brad was getting results."

"And?"

"And what?"

"That isn't enough to get him kicked out, Abbs. What else did he do?"

"Uh... Well..."

"Spit it out."

"Well, Gibbs also decided that he was angry with you. Brad told him to calm down, but he wouldn't."

"He thinks I was stupid, doesn't he?"

"Yes. But, it's only him! I think you were super brave for saving those people, Tony."

"Anyone would have done it."

"No, actually, they wouldn't have. Bystanders were amazed with what you did, but were quick to admit that they wouldn't have done the same thing. You are being called a hero, and I think Gibbs is just being jealous."

"I don't want to be called a hero, Abby, I just did what needed to be done. I couldn't let those people drown."

"I know that. I also know how modest you are, but you are a hero, no matter what you say. I think the mayor wants to give you a medal or something."

"No."

"You don't really have a choice in that matter, Tony," said Brad as he entered the room, carrying a large bouquet of flowers with him. "These are from the family of the children you saved. They wanted you to know how grateful they are."

"I just did what was needed," insisted Tony as Abby slipped out of the room again.

"Maybe so, but you are still a hero."

"Can we change the subject?"

"To what?" asked Brad as he finished checking Tony.

"I want to get out of here. Like, right now."

"Not happening."

"When can I go home?"

"I'll let you know."

"Then I want to go for a walk."

Brad grinned. "Where would you like to walk to?"

"The waiting room. Abby said Gibbs is still in there. I think there's something I need to tell him."

"Are you sure?"

"Very." Tony moved the blankets off his legs and swung his feet to the floor. "Let's go."

Brad shook his head in amusement. "Let me get you a wheelchair, at least, Tony. You're supposed to be resting, after all."

"Fine." Tony crossed his arms and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the doctor to return.

* * *

"DiNozzo? What are you doing out of bed?" Vance asked in surprise.

"I need to talk to Gibbs. Is that going to be a problem?" Tony asked, directing the question to Gibbs.

"What do you need to talk about?" Gibbs asked, knowing very well what was coming.

"You. Abby and Brad told me what you were saying. You don't think that I did the right thing?"

"Of course you did the right thing. I never doubted that. I just think you were irresponsible. You put yourself in danger."

"You wouldn't have done the same thing?"

"I would have, but I don't have compromised lungs, Tony."

"Maybe not, but you didn't seem to fazed about me diving into the ocean to save you and Maddie from drowning! What's the difference now? Or is it because you didn't know those people that it seems unnecessary for me to risk my health to save them from death?!"

"You could have let someone else save them."

"Who, Gibbs? Abby told me that the bystanders freely admitted to not having the courage to do what I did."

"Someone would have done it, I'm sure."

"You are so deaf! Did you not hear what I was just saying?!" Tony exclaimed in annoyance. "I can't believe you!" He turned around and wheeled himself back to his room, his anger dissipating as he went.

Tony knew he had done the right thing. There was no doubt in his mind about that. He knew that everyone thought he had done a good job saving those people, even if Gibbs didn't, and that was all he needed to be able to move forward from this. Things would get better between him and Gibbs eventually, just like they always did, anyway.

**The End**


End file.
